Decorative roping and method of making



Sept. 16, 1958 R. D. MERRILL DECORATIVE ROPING AND METHOD OF MAKING Filed March 50, 1955 INVENTOR. Richard D. Merr z'// warm AT TOR NEYS United States Patent 9 i DECORATIVE ROPING AND METHOD OF MAKING Richard D. Merrill, North Rehoboth, Mass., assignor to Union Wadding Company, a corporation of Rhode Island Application March 30, 1955, Serial No. 497,854

Claims. (Cl. 57-139) This invention relates to a decorative article sometimes referred to as roping, which may be draped from point to point for enhancing the appearance of articles or rooms on some festive occasion, and relates particularly to the method by which this decorative article or roping may be formed.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a roping which is of rather large diameter but light in weight and which will have a plurality of colors for this decorative purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive roping.

Another object of the invention is to provide a roping of various diameters which will give the desired appearance but which will be of such light weight as to place very little strain upon the supports from which it is suspended or draped.

Another object of the invention is to utilize a material which has heretofore been considered a preparatory stage as a final form of the material which is utilized and thus reduce the expense of the formation of the material.

7 Another object of this invention is to assemble sections of a lap or whole laps of different kinds and appearances together so as to form a decorative sliver or roping of an ornamental appearance. A twist is placed in the sliver not only to effect the ornamental character of the sliver and to provide sufficient strength for the sliver or roping to be packaged or handled and for the support of its own weight in draping the same from point to point but also to effect the desired finished diameter.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view shown somewhat diagrammatically of a carding machine which may be employed in carrying out one embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a sliver formed by the process shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a plurality of carding machines employed for carrying out a modified process of the invention; r

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a sliver formed by the process shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an arrangement of carding machines employed for carrying out a still different modification of the process; and

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a sliver formed by the process of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a top plan view of a hopper feed type of carding machine which may be used in carrying out the process.

The decorative article, the subject of the present invention, comprises a loose twisted roping made of a sliver of a continuous mass of fibers. The sliver is composed at least with two different materials which are maintained substantially separate to an extent to provide a roping tive properties such as color or of a sparkling character or both may be introduced into the, sliver in a manner to provide distinct bands extending helically about the roping. The fibers at the adjacent edges of the different portions of the sliver are made to intermingle in a loose, somewhat tangled, relation so as to produce a gradual shading in contrast between the different materials or colors of said adjacent portion, which when said sliver is twisted will result in soft helical divisional lines between the said different portions as distinguished from the abrupt line between the strands of the usual twisted rope. Each separate color portion may be the same size and/ or may be different and these combined in a sliver and twisted to produce pleasing effects. As by way of example, two color portions of the same size may be combined with a portion of greater or lesser dimensions and the resulting sliver twisted will produce a helical roping wherein helical bands of different widths will extend along the roping.

The method or process of making the above decorative rope according to the present invention may be carried.

out in a practical manner by the use of known textile processing machinery, as for example, a cotton card, wool card, garnets, etc. The fibers may first be prepared in the usual opening and picking machines to produce a lap in the known manner. The fibers processed through the opener may be of the different colors and materials heretofore mentioned so as to produce laps of the proper color desired. In one embodiment of the invention, two or more laps of different appearance are passed side by side in a card and led from the combs of the card to a condenser to be formed in a single sliver which is guided to a coiler mechanism to be twisted thereby so as to produce the ornamental effect desired and the necessary strength for the sliver to be self-supporting.

With reference to the drawing, 10 designates generally a revolving flat card in common use in the textile industry for processing cottonfibers into a preparatory stage. I have found this machine to be practical for carrying out the invention. Since this type of machine and its manner of operation are well known to workers in this art, only so much of the machine has been illustrated and will be described as is believed necessary for a clear understanding of the invention. The decorative roping heretofore described is made of a fiber which may be initially processed into the form of a lap to be received by the card. This may be accomplished in the known manner, as for example, by the use of opening and picking machines from which the fibers are combined and delivered in web-like form or lap which is packaged in a roll form. Since the roping is to be employed primarily for decorating purposes, waste material which has been properly processed may be used so as to reduce the cost of the roping. In the present instance a lap 11 which may be considered as not colored, or white, and a lap 12 of a desired color, as for example, red, are passed side by side simultaneously through the card 10 to be further acted upon by the carding action so as to produce a cleaner and more uniform web of fibers, all in the manner well known in the art.

The lap roll sections 11, 12 are properly supported end to end to engage the lap roller 13 which turns the lap rolls to advance the laps on to the feed plate 14 which with the feed roller feeds the lap to the so-called licker-in roller 16. The surface of the roller 16 is covered with saw toothlike points (not shown) which engage the fibers,of the. laps to carry-thesarne to the main. cylinder 1.7 the. wires or pointsof which: (not shown) strip the fibers fromthe roller 16 and carries the same to be passed between the cylinder-17 andthe flats 18 which are likewise providedwith wires:or points. (not shown). The relative speed of cylinder 17 andv flats 18 is such that the, fibers are given a brushing or carding action to even out and position the fibers in a. more nearly parallel relation to each other. It may be here pointed. out that the fibers at the adjacent edges of lap. 11. and 12 in'passing through the licker-in 16 and between cylinder 17 and flats 18 will, merge and interminglev with each. other in a loose, somewhat tangled relation and form a single web offibers across the. cylinder 17 with the line of division between the difierent colored fibers gradually shading from one of said colors to the. other. That is, there will not be an abrupt change from one color to the other at the junction of the fibers of laps 11 and 12. The. web of fibers, pass from between the cylinder; 17 and flats 18 to the doffer cylinder 19 which is also provided with wires. or points (not shown) which strip the fibers from the cylinder 17.

The cylinder 19 carries thefibers to the doffer combs 20 which strip the fibers from the cylinder 19 to deliver the fibers in: a continuous relatively thin sheet or web 21 havinga colored portion 22 and a white portion 23. The web 21 is advanced and guided to pass through a funnelshaped trumpet 25 through which it is drawn by a pair of calender rolls 26 and, condensed to a sliver 27. The fibers retain the rope-like form due to the pressure resulting from passing through the trumpet. The sliver now composed of a loose, fiufiy mass of continuous untwisted fibers is substantially circular in cross section with the fibers of lap 11 positioned on one side of the diameter of the sliver and the fibers of lap 12- positioned on the other side of the said diameter. The sliver 27 is led to a coiler mechanism 28 and may be delivered therefrom. to a roving can (not shown) but which is positioned directly beneath the; coiler so as to receive the sliver or some other twisting mechanism. The. coiler mechanism is rotated at a speed relative to the travel of the sliver 27 such as to place a twist therein to effect the desired ornamental character of the sliver and tow also provide the necessary strength in the sliver to be sufiiciently self-supporting to permit the packaging and handling thereof.

The finished sliver 27 is shown in Figure 2 on a scale much enlarged from that shown in Figure 1, the white portion- 23 and red portion 22 being shown as helically disposed" as a result of the twisting performed by the coiler mechanism. 28. There will be anywhere upwards from six turns per yard placed in the sliver, which will be sufficient to make the sliver self-supporting and allow it to be pulled from one place to another and packaged.

In some instances it may be desirable to strengthen the roping by means of a core 30 made of suitable material as by way of example a cord. The core 30 may be fed by suitable; means (not shown) at a position to advance the core centrally of the web 21 to the trumpet 25. The folding of the, web 21 into a. sliver will encompass the core 30to position the same substantially centrally within the sliver to be engaged by the fibers thereof. The core 30 strengthens the sliver and permits the placing of fewer twists therein if desired. Thus, the different colors of the sliver may be disposed in longer helices than would be required to produce a self-supporting roping in the absence of the core 30.

In Figure 1 I have shown, as by wayof example, two lap sections 11 and 12. passed side by side through the card 10. However, the invention contemplates forming the web' 21 of any number of separate color portions within reason. For example, assume that the finished decorative roping has three difierent colored sections, red,

white, and blue. Then three lap sections of the abovementioned colors would be passed side by side through the card 10 so as to produce a web 21 of three separate colored portions to result in a sliver having three colored sections which when twisted will result in a roping having three separate helically disposed color bands.

In some instances it may be desired to pass a single lap through the card 10 to produce a roping basically of one color but to possess decorative value. To this end, a flock of a suitable material may be provided having decorative value as to color, refiexing properties, or both, as by way of example, a fiock made of colored metallic powder, colored nubs, or metallic flake. This may be introduced into the web 21 as by sifting the same on the web prior to the passing thereof through the trumpet 25. The flock chosen should be particles sufficiently coarse or irregular in shape to be held by intermingling with the fibers of the sliver. In certain instances it may be found desirable to provide an adhesive for attachment of the flock into the fibers of the sliver. Such adhesive may be applied in a fine mist under proper control at a location in advance of the application of the flock. Such adhesive should be applied somewhat sparingly or be of a nature so as not to destroy the fluffiness of the roping.

In other instances it may be desirable to provide a section of web 21 of a variegated color. This could be readily accomplished by making a lap in which different colored fibers were mixed in the preparatory stage of making the lap.

In some cases instead of processing laps of difierent material through a single carding machine, I may utilize a plurality of carding machines such as three separate carding machines 31, .32, 33 arranged in the manner shown in Figure 3. Laps 34, 35, and 36 of different characters or colors will be processed in the cards 31, 32, 33, respectively. The webs 37, 38, and 39 formed in the process will be advanced and guided to a single trumpet 40 to be formed into a single sliver and delivered to a coiler mechanism as above described to have the desired twist placed therein. In this instance also a core 41 may be incorporated into the roping in the manner heretofore described. The roping 42 produced in this manner will have three different colored helical bands 43, 44, and 45 (see Figure 4).

In Figure 5 I have shown an arrangement wherein four carding machines, 46, 47, 48, and 49 will process simultaneously four laps 50, 51, 52, and 53. The resulting webs 54, 55, 56, and 57 will be advanced to be passed through a common trumpet condenser 58 to be formed into a single sliver having four ditferent or colored sections, the sliver thus formed also being advanced to a coiler mechanism as heretofore described to place a twist therein to form the roping designated generally 59, as shown in Figure 6, in which there will be four helically arranged band 60, 61, 62, and 63. In each of the forms, the twists will be upwards from six twists per yard in order to leave the sliver fluffy and yet of sufiicient strength so that the same may be readily packaged and handled. The core, of course, will assist in this strength where it is found desirable.

In Figure 7 I have illustrated diagrammatically a carding machine 64 wherein the fibers are fed to the machine by means of a known hopper feed 65 into which the fibers are loaded. There are shown two of such hoppers 65 which are positioned side by side. The web 66 which results from passing the fibers through the machine is condensed into a sliver in which a twist is thereafter placed as by means of a coiler mechanism 67 as hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. The method of providing a decorative articlc comprising forming a plurality of sections of'carded laps, each lap being made of a different material, condensing the laps into a sliver and twisting them to provide a sliver with said sections of fibers helically disposed to define abutting helices of different appearance.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the difierent sections of laps are passed simultaneously on one machine in an edge to edge relation and with the fibers at the abutting edges intermingled with each other.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the different sections of laps are on different machines.

4. The method of providing a decorative article comprising forming a plurality of sections of carded laps of dififerent material, condensing the laps into a single sliver and twisting the sliver to dispose said sections helically about said sliver so as to define abutting helices of different appearance.

5. A decorative twisted roping comprising a single twisted sliver of a plurality of continuous untwisted fibers,

said sliver having separate portions thereof of difierent materials providing helical bands thereon of difierent appearances.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

